This invention relates to orthopedic knee braces and, more specifically, to an apparatus that supports body mass and alleviates knee compartment stress through mechanical assistance. The present application consists of: a composite panel fuselage that encapsulates the leg; a motion control mechanism that supports body mass by managing flexion of the leg; and a lower support harness that integrates with hard shell boots. Main performance features of the present invention include enhanced impact protection, increased stabilization of the leg, mitigation of knee compartment stress and increased muscular efficiency.
Overuse, injury and age take their toll on a person's knees, degradation of cartilage and synovial fluid, known as Plica syndrome, is inevitable. Orthotic articulating (OA) knee braces that develop low levels of resistance to flexion have had some success in rehabilitation, preventive care and sports markets. However, more powerful systems capable of supporting body mass have been to date, ineffective from a commercial standpoint.
The present invention addresses ergonomic shortcomings of conventional orthotic knee braces by using a structured panel harness for securement of the knee brace to the leg. With rigid body panels instead of straps, the support harness of the present invention can focus or remove surface pressure on specific areas of the leg. With superior ergonomics and structural integrity, the fuselage of the present invention will comfortably support body mass without restricting the circulatory system of the user.
The following U.S. Patents, which describe orthotic braces of this general type, are incorporated by reference herein to establish the historic nature of such braces, and how and why such equipment is used: U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,408, entitled “Knee Brace”; U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,872, entitled “Leg support device for skiing”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,408,600, entitled “Leg aid device and method”.
Performance advantages of the present invention are based on its ergonomic fuselage design with wide, rigid body panels of the upper and lower support harness encircling the leg, creating an ‘open clamshell’ structure that specifically avoids the femoral, tibial, genicular, saphenous and popliteal blood vessels of the leg. The open clamshell harness allows the present invention to develop pressure on the leg for securement and support without causing circulatory restriction.
This open clamshell design also addresses performance shortcomings of the prior art regarding orthotic knee braces. Conventional orthopedic knee braces still rely on bilateral frames and looping straps for securement of the device to the leg. When placed under structural load, conventional orthotic knee brace designs flex inward and the compression straps restrict circulation to the user's lower extremities.
The following U.S. Patents describe orthopedic style knee braces that have rigid support panels incorporated into their structure. U.S. Published Application No. 2007/0232972 has structural panel coverage of the posterior upper thigh and lower leg with strap securement system on front section of the leg. In comparison, the present invention uses a double panel ‘open clamshell’ structure for securement that disperses pressure across a larger area of the leg without restricting the inner thigh and inner calf regions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,020, entitled “Orthopedic Splint” embodies the concept of rigid panels for securement. But panels of “Orthopedic Splint” have a dissimilar orientation than the present application and attach to a fixed position metal rod frame, making this patent example strictly a post-op treatment device.
The present invention differs from “Orthopedic Splint” in both construction and application. The composite panels overlap and attach to one other creating a strong, low profile fuselage that articulates with the leg during movement. That, in turn makes the fuselage design of the present invention feasible for a multitude of applications such as post-op rehab, sports orthotics and robotic assistance.
An example of a U.S. patent that uses a rigid leg harness for securement and support instead of looping straps would be U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,693, entitled “Leg Support Device”. The leg collar in that example is an overlapping cuff that completely encircles the leg. In comparison to the ergonomic, low profile open clamshell design of the present invention, “Leg Support Device” still restricts blood flow and encroaches on the inner leg area. Advanced composite construction methods and the open clamshell design allow the present invention to achieve the similar assistance levels to that of “Leg Support Device” with better ergonomics and less structural Interference.
The following prior art describes an orthopedic leg brace with advanced composite frame construction; US Published Application No. 2013/0038056. This device, embodied in a commercial form by Bionic Power Llc., utilizes composite construction with a high level of panel coverage. The panels of this prior art example do not, however, represent the function of the present invention's ‘open clamshell’ support harness. Without rigid panels fixed to the main frame, US Published Application No. 2013/0038056 lacks the panel size, orientation and structural integrity needed to disperse mechanical pressure on the leg and support body mass.
Several prior art examples have broken free of the bilateral frame design by using a single outboard hinge for the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 8,740,829, entitled “Configurable subshell components in orthopedic devices”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,704,218, entitled “Knee brace” and U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,223, entitled “Variable axis knee brace”, are designs that have reduced structural interference with the inner leg. The three prior art examples, however, still encircle the leg with straps and do not function beyond what prior prophylactic knee braces are capable of. The present invention matches the inner leg profile of these prior art examples, with increased stability and structural integrity because of the innovative fuselage design.
The present invention employs a more effective motion control system when compared to prior art by using: a cam attached to the lower support harness; a roller bearing and leaf spring assembly attached to the upper support harness; and a common central pivot. This motion control system is drag-free, highly adjustable, compact and powerful. By moving a roller hearing over the cam profile to create mechanical pressure on the spring assembly, the present invention motion control device has nearly frictionless operation. Motion control system of the present invention has a smooth, responsive ‘live’ feeling, a performance trait repeatedly missed by prior art. Use of elastomeric straps, pneumatic springs, even other steel spring configurations found in examples of prior art are not capable of the smooth operation, radically increasing spring resistance or high rebound properties of the present invention's motion control system.
The following U.S. Patents describe orthopedic braces using spring resistance and motion control systems, are herein incorporated for reference. U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,149, entitled “Knee hinge with selectively limited motion”. This prior art has the embodiment of a cam profile and spring deflection to create resistance.
Examples of motion control methods in a sports oriented knee brace would be U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,289, “Method, apparatus, and system for bracing a knee”, and U.S. Published Application No. 2009/0198164. Also noteworthy is the commercially available example of hinges with flex resistance, i.e., the POD Active K8 with Human Hinge Technology.
In comparison to the present invention, prior art motion control systems are rudimentary, light duty designs with less adjustability and lower resistance levels. Prior art examples of motion control devices are designed to operate within the constraints of conventional knee brace structures. They cannot produce high levels of resistance without drastically reducing leg circulation. The present invention motion control system is more robust and powerful, being designed to work with the improved rigidity and fit of the ‘open clamshell’ support harness.
In addition to enhanced performance, the motion control system of the present invention is compact. When viewed from the exterior, the enclosed motion control system maintains the conventional profile of the leg, an important feature for consumers who want to experience mechanical assistance without looking mechanically assisted.
The following U.S. patent is example of a body mass support device that has evolved from robotics. U.S. Pat. No. 7,947,004, entitled “Lower extremity exoskeleton”, relies on a cumbersome exterior frame and foot bed system for structure and alignment. In comparison to “Lower extremity exoskeleton”, the present invention is sleek and simplistic, by making the upper and lower support harness structural components of the system, the present invention exists in form and function somewhere in between two pre-existing groups known as sports/orthopedic OA knee braces and robotic assistance. The present invention, listed as a ‘Boorg’™, mixes the simplicity, fit and exterior profile of a sports oriented prophylactic knee brace, with the motion control capabilities of robotic assistance.
The orthopedic knee braces, ski aids, and robotic assistance devices described in the aforementioned incorporated patents are inferior to the present invention. In comparison to prior art, the present invention has an advanced fuselage that will not create circulatory restriction. It also has superior stability due to boot integration and a smooth, powerful method of motion control. The complete orthotic knee brace of this patent application is designed to fill the functional gap that exists between OA (orthotic-articulating) knee braces and robotic assistance systems.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an orthopedic knee brace that is worn to increase muscular efficiency and mitigate knee compartment stress, especially when deep squatting or holding a prolonged stance.
It is thus another object of the present invention to assist in its wearer/user in deep squatting or holding a prolonged stance through use of a motion control system attached to fuselage, primary components consisting of a cam, roller bearing, and leaf spring.
It is thus another object of the present invention to provide an orthopedic knee brace with ergonomic ‘open clamshell’ design that does not restrict the circulatory system of the lower body or deform under body mass supporting loads.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an orthopedic knee brace with modular fuselage construction that allows for anatomic customization.
It is yet another object to provide an orthopedic knee brace that functionally connects to hard shell boots creating a structure that can resist radial displacement of the knee and ankle.
From a functional standpoint, skiing aids have the most performance similarities to the present invention. In regards to commercial art, there are three established designs to mention:                CADS System—The latest rendition of CADS utilizes flexible carbon rods mounted to the back of a boot with the other end anchoring to the hip area by means of a posterior belt. The CADS motion control system is simple in function and operation. It is not a prophylactic system in the sense that coverage and leg stabilization is minimal. The flex rod motion control system has limited adjustability and the boot interface is rear mounted resulting in improper boot shell flex and loss of compliance between the lower leg and boot.        Ski Mojo—This system utilizes a rear facing boot mount similar to the CADS design, a semi-structured knee compartment, an upper thigh/posterior attachment, and a motion control system operated by extension spring. The Ski Mojo is not a rigid structure, so it has limited leg stabilization and prophylactic function. Compression strap thigh and posterior connection restricts circulation and does not enable truly independent leg support. Furthermore, Ski Mojo suffers from the same functional drawbacks of any rear facing boot-mounted design. The device will not retain the intended flex pattern of the boot.        Againer—A twin spar structure pivoting at the knee has a rigid rear facing frame member for leg stabilization and motion control with attachment to the boot being rear mounted. This system is the most robust and powerful of the three commercial designs with a unified structure from boot to thigh and a pneumatic spring for motion control. Unlike a Boorg ‘open clamshell’ design of this invention, the Againer structure encroaches on the inner leg profile causing interference between the medial thigh areas. The Againer design motion controller, being an exposed pneumatic piston, is also damage prone and lacks the adjustability and frictionless operation of a Boorg system. In addition, the Againer mounts to the boot shell in the same method as the previous ski aid designs.The Boorg composite fuselage and panels have a high amount of coverage and structural rigidity. And the invention encapsulates and stabilizes the leg to a higher degree than anything previously listed. With addition of the motion control device, the Boorg becomes capable of isolating the knee compartment from damaging quadriceps tension and can even support body mass. While the above three commercial systems can also do body mass support, they cannot do so at the same level of performance as a Boorg motion control device. By using a roller bearing and cam for spring actuation, the present invention has a motion control system that is exceptionally smooth with a high degree of adjustability. Spring resistance of a Boorg motion control system can be increased, decreased, delayed, reversed or disengaged, thus allowing the user to customize performance to his/her specific needs and applications.        
It is important to note that the features of the present invention; structural integrity, coverage, ergonomic design, boot integration and adjustable motion control give it the potential to represent many different things to many different people. A Boorg device can adapt to multiple applications while being both preventive and rehabilitative in purpose.